Track-door.



A. K. GILLESPIE'.

TRACK DOOR. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 10, 1912.

Patented Sept. 9, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

wn'nzsszs A. K. GILLESPIE. TRACK DOOR. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 10, 1912.

1,072,600. Patented Sept. 9, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVEN OR.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH COWWA-SHINGTON. 1: c4

FNHED STATEs P ALAN K; GILLESPIE, 0F KENOSHA, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO FRANCES GILLESPIE,

OF KENOSI-IA, WISCONSIN.

TRACKDOOB.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 9, 1913.

pended from wheeled hangers mounted on a track rail or rails extending from without into the refrigerator through. an opening in the wall of the latter above and communicating with the regular door-way.

In practice it has been found difiicu'lt to provide a closure for the track-opening which will prevent air-leakage. Sliding shutters and swinging doors have been used,

as has also a plug for the opening which is inserted and, calked to obtain a tight joint.

The last named method of closure, although eflicient in preventing air-leakage, requires an expenditure of too much time and labor in operation to be satisfactory; I g, My object is to provide a closure for the track-opening which will operate automatically in unison with the door proper and which, when closed, willeifectually prevent air-leakage.

I effect the end in view by forming a pro- .jection on the wall of the compartment which extends laterally into the trackingopening against the end of which the trackrail abuts and is preferably rigidly secured. A compressible packing is preferably introduced between the upper portion of the track-rail and the end of saidprojection to permit the hanger wheel to pass through the track-opening.

- I form the closure or track-door with an inwardly extending'tapered' plug, similar to the usual plug of a refrigerator door, which fits intothe track-opening. I prefer to provide the track-door wlthan overlap to seal the edge of the opening. The overlap of .the track-door is brought under the trackrail at 'an'incline and the overlap and plug are brought over the track-rail at an incline to provide sufficient clearance,

- said doorsags, for opening and closing the track-door. The plug is recessed to extend ver the top of and parallel withv the ex- Application fi led SeptembrlO, 1912. Serial No. 719,534..

even where I posedvertical face of the track-rail and is provided with packingsecured to the face of the plug to engage the top and side face of the rail to obtain a tight closure. I

prefer to make the track-door integral with the main door, butit may, if desired, be a separate element.

7 Other novel features of structure and arrangement of parts will appear from the following description. v

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a broken perspective of the front ofa refrigerator fitted with my invention, the door being shown partly open; Fig. 2 is an enlarged front elevation showing the trackopening the position of the closure or trackdoor being shown in dotted lines; Fig. is a slnnlar vlew of the track-door, onecorner of the same being shown broken away. to show the plug, and the track-rail and packing being shown, for the sake of clearness, in dotted lines.

The following is a detailed description of the drawings: I

A represents the outer wall of a refrigerator or storage-compartment having the usual doorway B above'which and communicating therewith'I provide the track opening G which is substantially of inverted L- shape, the wallof the refrigerator project- .ing inwardly at the bottom of the opening as at 1. The projection 1 has an inclined upper surface and is provided with a ledge 2 which extends under the track-rail. D. The track-rail D is a metal bar, permanently supported in any convenient manner and extending through the track opening C bearing-against the projection 1 and preferably rigidly secured thereto. The upper portion of projection 1 is cut away toform a seat for a packing 3 of felt or other compressible material which is interposed between the track-rail D andthe end of proj eotion 1.to prevent the leakage of air along that side ofthe track, and permit thepassage of the flange shown in Fig. 2. The top of track-rail D is below the top of projection 1. Thepacking 3 is preferably extended somewhat above the top of track-rail D being pressed down by the flange of-wheel of the hanger E, Fig. 2, as thehanger passes along said track-rail through the track-opening C.

I i F isthe door which closes the doorway B and which is provided with the usual inof the hanger wheel, as

wardly extending tapered plug 4 which fits into said doorway and is preferably hollow and packed withnon-heat-conducting mate- 1 tegral upward extension of the door F provided with an inwardly extending tapered plug 6, which is a continuation of the plug l and of substantially inverted 'L-shape to fit the opening Q. As shown in the drawings, the left side of the plug 6 is recessed at 7 to accommodate'the projection 1 and the track-rail D. The vertical edge of said recess 7 is provided with a packing or plate 8, of rubber or other compressible material secured to the face of plug 6 and bearing snugly against the face oftrack-rail D when ,the'track-door is closed to, prevent air-leakage. In the angle of the recess 7 the plug 6' is extended to form an angular block or step 7 to fit'over the top of track-rail D, the lower face of said block being in- ,clined to provide clearance in opening and closing the trackdoor and provided with a packing or plate 8* to bear upon the top of said track-rail to prevent air-leakage.

The exterior edge of the track-door" G is provided with an overlap 9 which, where the track-door isintegral with the door F, isa continuation of the overlap 5 of said door. Said overlap 9 extends about the edge of the track-door to seal the crack between the track-door and the track-opening except along the top andexposed side face of the track-rail D where said overlap 9 is omitted and the packing 8 and 8 relied upon to prevent air-leakage' The overlap 9 passes under the traclcrail D at a downward incline,

, as at 10, to provide clearance in opening or closing the track-door, and merges into the overlap 5 of the door F as by step 11. The portion 12 of the overlap9 which seals the upper edge of projection 1 begins at a point adjacent to the upper inner edge of track-rail D and extends at an upward incline to clear the track-rail D in opening and closing the track door. This prevents catching or binding, even when the door is sagged." The inverted Lshape of the track-opening pro.- vides sufficient clearance for the hanger E even should the same swing or rock laterally in passing through the opening C;

It is evident that my track-door effects a complete closure of the trackopening, the plug and ove'rlapiof said door fitting into and sealingthe track-opening except where the same is effected by the packing 3, 8 and 8. Where the track door is made. integral .saving in time and labor.

wheeled hanger communicating therewith,

fromsai'd opening,

nothing to the cost of the refrigeratoror compartment, tightly seals the track-openmg against air-leakage and effects a great WVhat I desire to claim is 1, In combination with a storage com partment provided with a main doorway and an opening for the passage of the 7 5 a projectlon of the wall of said compartment partially separatlng said doorway a track-rail extending into said compartment and its side contacting with the end of said projection, and a swing door adapted toclose said'doorway and having'an integral extension adapted to close said opening. 7 Y 2. In co-mbinat'on'with a storage compartment having a main doorway and an opening for the passage of the wheeled hanger communicating therewith, a projection of the wall of said compartment partially separating said doorway from said opening, said projection being provided with a ledge, a track-rail extending into said compartment resting on said ledge and its side contacting with the end of said project-ion, a swing door adapted to close said doorway and having an integral extension adapted to close said opening, said door being provided with an overlap which abuts against the upper and lower outer face of said projectionl i 3. In combination with a storage compartment having a main doorway and an annular opening for the passage ofthe wheeled hanger communicating therewith, a projece tion of the wall of'said compartment'partially separating said doorway from said opening," said projection having a downwardly and outwardly inclined top surface, a track-rail, its side contacting with the end of said projection, the top of said track rail being below said inclined surface and a door' for said main doorway having an integral extension adapted to close said opening, the overlap of said door being adapted to abut against the face of said projection above the level of said track-rail. r 4:. In combination with astorage compartmenthaving a main doorway and' an opening for the passage of the wheeled hanger communicating therewith, a projection of the wall of said compartment partially sep- 12o arating said'doorway from said opening, said projection having a downwardly and outwardly inclined top surface, a track-rail, its sidecontacting with the end of said projection, said rail being below said inclined surface and above the bottom of said projection, and a door provided with an over-'- lap and adapted to close said main doorway and having an integral extension adapted to olose'said opening, the overlap of said door abutting against said projection above and below said track-rail.

5. In combination with a storage compartment provided with a main doorway andan opening for the passage of the wheeledhanger communicating therewith, a projection of the wall. of said compartment partially separating said doorway from said opening, a

track-rail extending into said compartment and its side contacting with the end of said projection, a door provided with an overlap adapted to close said main doorway and having an integral extension adapted to close said opening, said overlap extending at an incline above said track- 7 rail when said door is closed to provide the end of said projection, a door provided with an overlap and adapted to close said main doorway and having an integral exa track-rail extending into said' compartment and its side contacting with tension adapted to close said opening, said overlap extending at an incline below said track-rail when said door is closed to provide clearness in opening and shutting the door.

ment provided with a main doorway and an 7. In combination with a storage compart- I opening for the passage of (the wheeled o hanger communlcating therewith, a projection of the wall of the compartmentpartially separating said doorway from said opening, a track-rail extending into said compartment and its side contacting with the end of said projection, .a door provided with an overlap and adapted to close said main doorway and having an integral extension and adapted to close said opening, said overlap extending at an incline above and below said track-rail when said door is closed to provide clearancein opening and shutting the door.

Signed at Kenosha, Wisconsin, day of September 1912.

ALAN K. GILLESPIE. 7

this 7th Witnesses:

OLGA MILLER, L. E. MINKEL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

